USING REPTILES AND SOIL ARTHROPODS AS INDICATORS FOR OPEN QUARRY RESTORATION IN MEDITERRANEAN-TYPE

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USING REPTILES AND SOIL ARTHROPODS AS INDICATORS FOR OPEN QUARRY RESTORATION IN MEDITERRANEAN-TYPE TYPE ECOSYSTEMS C. Adamopoulou & A. Legakis Zoological Museum, Dept.

1 USING REPTILES AND SOIL ARTHROPODS AS INDICATORS FOR OPEN QUARRY RESTORATION IN MEDITERRANEAN-TYPE TYPE ECOSYSTEMS C. Adamopoulou & A. Legakis Zoological Museum, Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Athens, Panepistimioupoli, GR Athens, Greece 0 th International Congress on the Zoogeography and Ecology of Greece and Adjacent Regions, Patra,

2 Study plots Materials & Methods Natural undisturbed plot (A) -control Vegetation covers 52.% of plot The rest is bare sand Vegetation: Juniperus oxycedrus ssp. macrocarpa (coverage 62.2%) & Coridothymus capitatus (coverage 22.5%)

3 3 year old china clay quarry (Β*) Surface deposits of inert materials from a china clay quarry in an early phase of restoration Vegetation (hydroseeded): Ditrychia viscosa, Artemisia absinthum, Centaurea spinosa, Atriplex alymus, Tamarix sp. And other smaller graminaceous plants * For the arthropod study, Bc, an undisturbed phrygana plot right next to B, was used as control

4 8-99 year old perlite quarry-totally restored (C) (Cs) Slope Acacia cyanophylla, Myoporum lanceolatum, Medicago arborea, Tamarix sp., (all these plants were hydro seeded) and the smaller Satureja thymbra, Spartium junceum that colonized the area later on. (Cp) Plane Cistus salvifolius, Cistus incannus, Satureja thymbra, Helichrysum italicum, Centaurea spinosa, Elymus farctus, Otanthus sp., Calycotome villosa, Genista acanthoclada, Sarcopoterium spinosum. None of these plants was hydro seeded

5 Diversity Herpetofauna: Transects (same time of the day/same observer): (Α) 70m x 4m (Β) 60m x 4m (Cs) 234m x 4m (Cp) 60m x 4 m Soil arthropods: Pitfall traps (20 traps/plot- except Bc that had 0 traps) Index Species Population density of index species Capture-recapture & transects

6 Results a) Species records-reptiles Study plot Species A (undisturbed) Lizards Cyrtopodion kotschyi Ablepharus kitaibelii Podarcis milensis Lacerta trilineata hansschweizeri B (3 year old) C (Cs&Cp( Cs&Cp) ) (8-9 9 year old) Cyrtopodion kotschyi Ablepharus kitaibelii Podarcis milensis Lacerta trilineata hansschweizeri Total 4 species 4 species 4 species Snakes Macrovipera schweizeri Elaphe situla Telescopus fallax Total 3 species - 2 species Cyrtopodion kotschyi Ablepharus kitaibelii Podarcis milensis Lacerta trilineata hansschweizeri Macrovipera schweizeri Elaphe situla

7 Soil Arthropods A (undisturbed) Opiliones Araneae Acarina Isopoda Chilopoda Collembola Thysanura Dictyoptera Orthoptera Hemiptera Ants Coleoptera Insect larvae Pseudoscorpiones Amphipoda Diplopoda Dermaptera B (3 years old) Opiliones Araneae Acarina Isopoda Chilopoda Collembola Thysanura Dictyoptera Orthoptera Hemiptera Ants Coleoptera Insect larvae Bc (undisturbed) C (Cs & Cp), (8-9 years old) Opiliones Araneae Acarina Isopoda Chilopoda Collembola Thysanura Dictyoptera Orthoptera Hemiptera Ants Coleoptera Insect larvae Total Opiliones Araneae Acarina Isopoda Chilopoda Collembola Thysanura Dictyoptera Orthoptera Hemiptera Ants Coleoptera Insect larvae Solifugae

8 Number of species in May-July A (undisturbed) B (3 years old) Bc (undisturbed) C (Cs & Cp), (8-9 9 years old) Opiliones Araneae Acarina Isopoda Chilopoda Collembola Thysanura Dictyoptera Hemiptera Ants Coleoptera Insect larvae Total

9 Podarcis milensis Index species: Podarcis endemic lizard species in the Aegean Archipelago (Milos, Kimolos, Polyaigos, Antimilos & small islets)

10 b) Population density of index species Petersen (Caughley, 980) N=CM/R () Μ= No of lizards marked in the first time C= Total No of lizards recaptured R=No of recaptured lizards that are marked Ν/Μ=C/R For R>7: Bailey (952) N=M(C+)/R+ (2) Correcting for edge effect Plot A (undisturbed) B (3 year old) Density Transects Capture- Recapture 495 ind/ha ind/ha 60 ind/ha - * * Due to dense vegetation the capture-recapture method could not be used Cs (8-9 year old-slope) Cp (8-9 year old-plane) 50 ind/ha 208 ind/ha - * ind/ha

11 Soil Arthropods The three major groups in terms of number of species Coleoptera, Araneae, Hym. Formicidae were chosen as index groups

12 Mean number of individuals per trap per 60 days A (undisturbed) B (3 years old) Bc (undisturbed) C (Cs & Cp), (8-9 9 years old) Araneae Coleoptera Formicidae

13 Mean number of individuals per trap per 60 days Araneae Coleoptera Formicidae 00 0 A (undisturbed) B (3 years old) Bc (undisturbed) C (Cs & Cp), (8-9 years old)

14 Numbers of species (total) A (undisturbed) - C (Cs & Cp), (8-9 9 years old): No difference Bc (undisturbed) B (3 years old): Significantly more species in B

15 Numbers of species (Araneae( Araneae, Coleoptera, Formicidae) Sites Mann- Whitney U p Relations Araneae A - C No difference B - Bc More in quarry Coleoptera A - C More in control B- Bc More in control Formicidae A - C More in quarry B-Bc No difference

16 Number of individuals A (undisturbed) > C (quarry) Mann-Whitney U=0, p=0.049) Due to Coleoptera Tenebrionidae B (quarry) > B (undisturbed) Mann-Whitney U=0, p=0.049) Due to Araneae, Isopoda, Coleoptera, Formicidae

17 Diversity Margalef index Undisturbed sites have higher diversity than quarries Mann-Whiney U= 0, p=0.049 for both sets Shannon & Simpson No differences Mann-Whitney U>2, p>0.27

18 Discriminant analysis between sites C C Bc A B

19 Clustering between sites B B B Bc Bc Bc C C C A A A

20 c) Qualitative results Taxa A B Bc Cs Cp Erodius orientalis, Dichomma dardanum (Tenebrionidae) Dailognatha hellenica, Zophosis punctata (Tenebrionidae) Alleculidae, Staphylinidae Messor caducus (Formicidae) Pheidole pallidula, Acantholepis sp. (Formicidae) Cataglyphis sp., Plagiolepis pygmaea (Formicidae)

21 d) Morphometrics of index species Podarcis milensis SVL (mm) Plot Mean (range) t-test A (undisturbed) Males (n=46) ( ), SD=4.93 Females (n=82) 49.0 (42-60), SD=4.93 Males>Females p<0.000 A vs. Cp No sign. dif. between males, t-test, p=0.000 Cp (8-9 year old, plane) Males (n=25) (55-64), SD=2.4 Females (n=27) 54.8 (49-60), SD=2.85 Males>Females p=0.000 No sign. dif. between females, t- test, p=0.000

22 e) Predation pressure May A % of animals with regenerated tails Males 44 (n= ) July 50 (n= ) Cp Males % of animals with regenerated tails May (spring) (n=2) July (Summer) 46.5 (n=3) Females (n=) 50 (n=6) Grouped

23 a) Herpetofauna Recapitulation (A) Undisturbed plot Species record: 4 lizard species, 3 snake species Population density: 395 ind/ha (capture-recapture), 495 ind/ha (transects) (B) Restored 3 years ago Species record: 4 lizard species, 0 snake species Population density: 60 ind/ha (transects) (C) Restored 8-9 years ago Species record: 4 lizard species, 2 snake species Population density: Cs-slope 50 ind/ha (transects) Cp-plane 303 ind/ha (capture-recapture), 208 ind/ha (transects) It seems that 3 years since restoration are enough for a good population of Podarcis milensis to be settled Species record No of species found follows restoration level. Snakes not found in B maybe due to a) their cryptic behavior & restricted activity hours, b) the plot may not yet fulfill certain requirements (e.g. food, refuges, etc.) Population density Population density of index species follows restoration level. In B and Cs the smaller densities. In B due to early stages of restoration & dense vegetation and in Cs due to very dense vegetation

24 b) Invertebrates The sites have characteristic species that are adapted to the special conditions at each study area Ants Both quarries: Messor B (3 year old quarry): Pheidole & Acantholepis C (8-9 year old quarry): Cataglyphis & Plagiolepis The 8-9 year old quarry is closer to the undisturbed site as far as Margalef diversity and some groups such as spiders, compared with the 3 year old quarry The soil arthropod community of the quarries is more similar to the phryganic undisturbed site than to the sandy undisturbed site

25 The two quarries seem to have acquired communities that do not differ much from the undisturbed communities as far as diversity is concerned The difference of the soil community in the 3 year old quarry from the neighboring undisturbed site is bigger than the difference between the 8-9 year old quarry and its undisturbed neighbor

26 General conclusions The two quarries seem to be on the way to full restoration with the 8-9 year old quarry being closer The differences in vegetation and in soil substrate create different reptile and invertebrate communities It is possible that in the future, plants from adjoining natural areas will invade and remove these differences It is also possible that the alien plant species that have been used in some cases for restoration will negatively affect neighboring natural areas

27 We would like to thank Z. Goulioumi N. Vavasi M. Kourias for assistance in the field The S&B mining company for permission to carry out the project in their quarries Mr G. Petrakis of S&B for the provision of data on the vegetation and history of the quarries The Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works for financial assistance within the framework of the Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Program

Summer diet of Podareis milensis, P gaigeae and

Bonn. zool. Beitr. Bd. 48 H. 3-4 S. 275-282 Bonn, Dezember 1999 Summer diet of Podareis milensis, P gaigeae and P. erhardii (Sauria: Lacertidae) C. Adamopoulou, E. D. Val a kos & P. Pa filis Abstract.